American Journalist Kidnapped by Iran-Backed Terror Group (Video)

An American journalist has reportedly been kidnapped in broad daylight in Baghdad, with disturbing surveillance footage said to show armed men dragging her into the back of a car near one of the most heavily guarded areas in Iraq.

Shelly Kittleson, 49, a journalist from Monticello, Wisconsin, was abducted Tuesday in the Iraqi capital, according to reports. The terrifying incident has sparked urgent fears that an Iran-backed militia may now be holding an American hostage in the middle of a deepening regional crisis.

Al-Monitor, the independent outlet Kittleson has contributed to, confirmed her disappearance in a public statement.

“We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday. We call for her safe and immediate release,” the outlet said.

The statement also praised her reporting from the region and called for her swift return.

But the most chilling part may be the video.

Footage shared by local outlets on X reportedly shows Kittleson being forced into a vehicle by armed men after they stopped her at a busy Baghdad intersection. Reports say she was taken near the Baghdad Hotel, just steps from the Green Zone, the fortified area that houses government buildings, embassies and foreign officials.

Footage shows the moment American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/SSYLwiFjHp

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) March 31, 2026

Two vehicles were reportedly involved in the abduction.

While no group has officially claimed responsibility, suspicion has quickly fallen on Kataib Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia long accused of targeting Americans and Western interests in the region.

Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official who said he served as Kittleson’s designated U.S. point of contact, wrote on X that he believes she may have been taken hostage by the group.

“I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have been taken hostage in Baghdad by Kataib Hezbollah,” he wrote. He added that her whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Iraqi authorities reportedly intercepted one vehicle believed to be tied to the kidnapping after it flipped over during an attempted escape. One suspected abductor was arrested, according to Iraq’s Interior Ministry.

But Kittleson was not inside.

Officials said the second vehicle she was believed to be in was last seen heading south out of Baghdad, raising even more concerns that the kidnappers had time to disappear with their American captive.

The Interior Ministry said efforts are ongoing to track down the other suspects and rescue the abducted journalist.

Kittleson is no stranger to danger. She has spent years reporting from some of the world’s most volatile conflict zones, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, and has written for outlets including BBC World, Politico and Foreign Policy.

Still, the warning signs were apparently there.

According to Al-Monitor, Trump administration sources said officials were aware of threats against Kittleson and had advised her not to travel to Iraq. A U.S. official also told the outlet that the State Department is now working with Iraqi authorities in hopes of securing her release.

So far, no ransom demand has been made public, and her kidnappers have not released any statement.

The kidnapping comes at a time of soaring tensions in Iraq, where the U.S. Embassy has recently urged American citizens to leave the country as violence tied to the wider regional war continues to spread. Iraq remains a dangerous flashpoint, with U.S. forces still on the ground and multiple pro-Iran militias operating openly.

Kataib Hezbollah has been linked to previous hostage cases as well. The group was previously accused in the 2023 kidnapping of U.S.-linked student Elizabeth Tsurkov in Baghdad. She was not released until 2025.

Now another American has vanished in the same city, under eerily similar circumstances.

And once again, all eyes are on the Iran-backed forces that have turned Iraq into a deadly trap for Americans.